This invention relates to a new and improved process for the construction and installation of a curtain wall made up of prefabricated wall elements and apparatus for the execution of this process.
In principle two different processes are known for the erection of a facade of curtain walls. In one type of construction the entire curtain wall consists of individual wall elements which present the height of one or more stories of the building being constructed. These elements are self supporting and are fastened, for example, to the floor ceilings of the building. The mounting of these wall elements may be carried out using a cable winch or a crane. For this the wall elements are hoisted from ground level on the outside of the building. The hoisting can be carried out only very slowly and, because of their relatively large surface area, during this procedure the elements are exposed to and subject to the influence of existing wind forces, making them difficult to control. This mode of construction is time consuming and during the same both the wall elements to be installed and the wall elements already installed are exposed to the possibility of damage, which often occurs.
Another method of erecting a facade consists of joining, directly to the outside of the building, posts and tie bars for carrying glazing and facade panels. This work is also very time consuming and requires the presence of a suspended car or gondola which must be arranged to move in all directions on the outside of the building. There is hazard to installers during the construction of the facade.
Underlying the invention is the problem of finding a process, and apparatus for the execution of the process, by means of which the curtain wall of a building can be erected in the shortest possible time and with the least cost, without concern for the safety of the workers and without damage to the wall elements or their components. The present invention does provide a solution to this problem.